![]() ![]() It may even help strengthen your immune system. It can improve your memory and increase mindfulness. Keep in mind that work journaling provides the same psychological benefits as personal journaling. Sometimes I’ll include screenshots of positive interactions I’ve had in my work journal-feedback like “good job” and “I appreciate you” that, while seemingly minor at the time, add up to a bigger picture of the impact you’ve had on others. Rather than digging through emails and Slack messages to remember specifics, you can pull up journal entries that highlight your contributions. Similarly, when it comes time for manager one-on-ones or performance reviews, it’s really helpful to have amassed a pile of evidence of your successes all in one place. Not so with a work journal! Look back over your entries to find specific wins or losses that may have otherwise been forgotten. When it’s time for a team retrospective, colleagues may be racking their brains to remember milestones or pain points. It can be easy to forget how you felt at the beginning or middle of an engagement, especially if it spanned months or years. Projects can end on high (or not-so-high) notes. You remember project successes and challenges Think of it as a mini reference library you can return to again and again. Over time, you’ll have created a living, breathing document that chronicles all of your professional accomplishments. The same thing happens when you build your work journal day by day. Have you ever collected spare coins in a piggy bank? A few pennies and quarters each week add up to a nice chunk of change by the end of the year. And that’s the most rewarding part of all. After a year or two of consistent writing, you’ll be able to look back on your first few entries and see how far you’ve come, how much your work has improved. If the habit isn’t sticking, try journaling at a different time or in a different location. Don’t stress about missing a day or even a week of entries. Work journaling can be a beneficial habit, but it’s not something you should break your back over. If your journal becomes a place for you to stew in negative feelings day after day, it can actually make the situation worse. And that’s fine! But you should always try to follow up with steps you’re going to take to improve the situation. If you’re having a particularly bad day, it can be easy to spiral into a lengthy, emotional journal entry. I’ve seen others do weekly retrospectives on Friday afternoons. I carve out 5-10 minutes on my calendar at the end of each day to write in my work journal. ![]() I’m not advocating adding extra work to your already full plate. Dos and don’ts of work journalingĪll of this sounds great, so what’s the catch? While there isn’t much downside to work journaling, there are a few things to keep in mind: Don’t overload yourself The simple act of writing about your work will pay off in time. Tweak your journal to fit your unique needs, but try to stay within the parameters of your daily tasks and interactions. Once you start writing, subconscious feelings and ideas may bubble to the surface. Jot down questions that arise as you’re mind-dumping-you can save these for later. Paste in any feedback you’ve received from colleagues or managers, be it positive or negative. Point out things you like and dislike about your designs or research findings. Just empty your mind onto the page.Īdd in screenshots of what you’re working on. Where to begin? When in doubt, start with one of these:Īs with personal journaling, don’t worry about things like grammar or word choice or even using full sentences. A blank page is begging you to fill it up. You have your work journal (for me, a Google Doc) and you’re ready to dive in. Over time I realized that work journaling could provide a lot of the same benefits as personal journaling-and some unique ones, too. As a designer whose work is mostly visual, journaling about my thought processes felt like flexing a muscle I hadn’t used in way too long. I found myself writing a lot about my projects. When working from home became the norm, the line between journaling about my personal and professional lives began to blur. I felt lighter, less prone to overthinking things, ready to start the day with a clear mind. Eventually, I found my journaling groove by making it a part of my morning coffee routine, and over time I began to love it. ![]() I would write an entry or two, maybe a week’s worth, and then the habit would evaporate. For years I began each January with the same goal: to finally start journaling. ![]()
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